By RACHEL TEAMAN

Joyce Hwang, associate professor of architecture whose
eco-sculptures provide habitat for bats and birds, and call
attention to misunderstood or ignored ecological conditions, has
received a 2014 Emerging Voices award from the Architectural League
of New York.

Hwang, who also leads the architectural practice Ants of the
Prairie, was selected along with seven other practitioners and
firms based in the United States, Canada and Mexico. The award, a
coveted recognition in the field, honors her “distinct design
voice” and “potential to influence the disciplines of
architecture, landscape design and urbanism.”

Since 1982, the juried series has featured architects and
designers from throughout North America who have gone on to have
widely influential practices. Past award-winners include Toshiko
Mori, Teddy Cruz and Steven Holl.

According to the Architectural League, Hwang’s practice is
“dedicated to developing creative approaches in confronting
the pleasures and horrors of our contemporary ecologies.”

Much of Hwang’s work focuses on bats, a critical but
largely misunderstood part of the ecosystem. Often considered
“pests,” bats are also under siege by white-nose
syndrome, a deadly fungal infection, as well as habitat loss.

“In urban environments, we have a tendency to view most
forms of urban wildlife as undesirable. Buildings and other
structures are typically designed and constructed in ways to
prevent animal inhabitation,” says Hwang. “By creating
structures that support bat (and other urban wildlife) habitation,
we can invoke curiosity in our ecosystem and increase awareness of
the presence of animals.”

Recent works by Hwang include Bat Cloud, a cluster of stainless
steel mesh pods suspended from trees in Buffalo’s Tifft
Nature Preserve. Bats can roost and feed in the pods, which are
filled with soil and native plants. From below, the shimmering
installation resembles a cluster of roosting bats. In 2010, Hwang
built Bat Tower in Griffis Sculpture Park, in East Otto, N.Y. The
12-foot-tall twisting pillar of plywood features nooks and crannies
perfectly sized for bats.

Hwang is currently working on "Habitat Wall," an urban habitat project for bats and birds. Photo: Courtesy of Joyce Hwang

To bring scientific and ecological precision to her habitats,
Hwang collaborates with Katharina Dittmar, UB associate professor
of biological sciences.

Omar Khan, associate professor and chair of architecture at UB,
says the award is a significant recognition for Hwang in the
context of the department’s focus on ecologically sensitive
design.

“The UB Department of Architecture has a strong focus on
ecological issues as they pertain to the built environment,”
Khan says. “Hwang’s research and creative work bring
attention to ways in which animals and humans can have a more
mutualist relationship in the making of shelter. This award is a
recognition of her unique voice and work in this socially and
environmentally engaged area of design.”

Hwang’s current projects include Habitat Wall, a
sculptural habitat for birds and bats. She will install a second
iteration of Bat Cloud in Rotterdam, Netherlands, for the 2014
International Architecture Biennale of Rotterdam.

As part of the Emerging Voices lecture series, Hwang will
present her work on March 13 in New York City at a talk scheduled
for 7 p.m. in the Scholastic Auditorium at 557 Broadway.